Brief Skirmish

A battle took place on Radavan Six in The Geworsian sector. This highly contested sector of space is the scene of a massive incursion by all manner of alien races attempting to dominate the area newly emerged from a fading warpstorm.

Overlord Yukor led a royal court of three lords and three crypteks to seize objectives south of the River Gorgling at the point where it is crossed by three fords. He was supported by three units of troops: On the left another cryptek led seven immortals armed with gauss blasters, in the centre eleven warriors seized the southernmost objective and on the right eight tesla carbine equipped immortals were led by another cryptek.

On the extreme right the annihilation barge NNV Devastator was equipped with a Gauss cannon, whilst centre left the Barge NNV Spirited Defence had an all tesla weapon system. Yukor took the centre right of the line, close to an abandoned fortification containing another objective. In the centre of the battleground was a third objective in an exposed area, whilst in trees on the left deep there was a fourth. Finally, across the river on the right, a fifth objective was located.

In reserve, Yukor kept back a squad of eight deathmarks and the Doom Scythe NNV Victory. The enemy had their warlord Logan and three squads of marines, wolf cavalry on the right and two heavy support units equipped with laser cannon, missile and plasma weapons one on each flank. There was also a heavy land raider vehicle centre left.

Seizing the initiative Yukor advanced on a broad front and opened fire with both barges. The crypteks added their eldritch lances to the barrage and some immortals were able to open up to from extreme range. Very little damage resulted, though a glancing hit on the land raider was inflicted.

The enemy advanced too, but they had the river to cross and made very slow progress despite running many units. Our deathmarks now deep struck in the enemy rear as our immortals moved up on both sides. This meant the right hand unit entered the compound containing the right hand objective. The left hand unit was closing with the centre and left hand objective, but enemy marines were closer and easily took the left.

Our barges halted to bring their weapons to bear more effectively but it was the Devastator that did real damage, killing the leading two out of three wolf riders with support from the advancing immortals. The warriors and HQ took losses from long range heavy weapon and missile fire but though at one point three lords were down, two reanimated assisted by Yukor’s resurrection orb.

The Spirited Defence’s shields also held under fire but our rearmost warrior unit took some losses from long range fire. The deathmarks, having marked Logan’s unit scored a number of hits but only one marine fell, crucially however, Logan suffered two wounds and then was hit by our cryptek’s eldritch lance fire and fell dead.

The last remaining enemy wolf rider took another wound and was repulsed attempting to assault the deathmarks, six of whom had fallen to fire from three enemy units. However, two reanimated in time to receive the assault from nine marines, survivors of Logan’s unit. Despite them pressing twenty four attacks, only one wound was caused, and this failed to penetrate the deathmarks’ armour and a marine fell to the mere four counter attacks, incredibly causing the imperials to check morale.

The engagement broke off at this point: Logan was the only unit destroyed but counted triple as warlord and first blood. Our deathmarks were in the enemy deployment zone for linebreaker and both sides held one three point objective. A score of seven three then tactically, but with two more objectives about to be seized by us next turn.

However, the engagement was so short that the enemy forces remained largely intact with light damage to two units, moderate damage to another and serious damage to a fourth (the wolf riders). Their HQ was lost but three units were completely unscathed and they were within easy striking distance of the fifth objective.

We had suffered light damage to one unit and moderate damage to two others. Four units were undamaged and the Victory was yet to arrive from reserve. Of the original 1500 strength our losses amounted to about 200 points, made up of warriors, deathmarks and one lord, less than 15%. Enemy losses were estimated at 30%.